Ensuring that 120 million additional women and girls are able to access and use modern contraception, a goal outlined by the Family Planning 2020 global partnership, is about much more than a number.
Women and girls — each with a face, a name, a story and dreams — have the right to define their needs and make decisions about their own sexual and reproductive health, both within and beyond the clinic walls.
In fact, the ability to choose whether, when and how many children to have is essential not only to a woman’s health, but also to the health of her family and community. When women have access to quality family planning and health services, they are more likely to survive childbirth, have healthier children and go further in their education.
Yet expanding access to contraception has never been just about health — it means fundamentally changing the status of women and girls in society by respecting their bodies, minds, aspirations and lives.